City cracks down on swim pass abusers

Officials also ponder charging for use of Deukmejian Park for private events.

March 24, 2012|By Brittany Levine, brittany.levine@latimes.com

Pacific Community Pool, which opened in 2011, saw a loss… (Cheryl A. Guerrero…)

Abuse of the discounted family swim pass at the newly-opened Pacific Community Pool last summer — which cost the city $5,600 in lost revenue — has prompted calls to end the program.

The Parks, Recreation & Community Services Commission this week recommended axing the $50-pass, which may be replaced with individual unlimited passes.

Some swimmers with the family pass, meant for immediate family members, would bring in friends and cousins to take advantage of the pass, Community Services Supervisor Gabrielle Goglia said at the meeting, resulting in the lost revenue.

Under the new recommendation, a family of four with two adults and two children under 12 will have to pay $190 for unlimited access. A child under 12 would pay $20; children between 12 and 17 would pay $40; adults would pay $75 and seniors over 55 would pay $40.

The City Council must still sign off on the new fee schedule.

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Glendale is also one step closer to charging fees for people to use Deukmejian Wilderness Park for private events. The parks commission recommended the city charge $125 for weddings and $40 per hour, with a five hour minimum, for private events in the lower picnic area, shelter and amphitheater. Events would be limited to four a month.

Currently, people hold events at the park but don’t pay for them, as they would at other city parks. The new fees would bring extra revenue to the city and preserve the wilderness space, according to a city report.

The most popular city park for weddings is Brand Park, but there have been a few weddings in Deukmejian this year, said Community Services Manager Ross Phares.